Apparatus for rolling radiator core elements



June 19, 1945. R 2,378,661

APPARATUS FOR ROLLING RADIATOR CORE ELEMENTS Filed Feb. 9', 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor 1 Jbk S aZZZI' o Q g y I HMKKS J. SALZER 2;378,661

APPARATUS FOR ROLLING RADIATOR CORE ELEMENTS 'Filed Feb. 9, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I m/enlor June 19, 1945. J, SALZER 2,378,661

' APPARATUS FOR ROLLING RADIATOR CORE ELEMENTS Filed Feb. 9, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I ,J zyhi Inventm" l J. SALZER Jim 19, 1945.

APPARATUS FOR'ROLLING RADIATOR CORE ELEMENTS Filed Feb. ,9, 1942 4, Sheets-Sheet 4 merited June 19,1945 2,378,661

2,37 8,661 APPARATUS FOR ROLLING RADIATOR CORE ELEMENTS John Salzer, Houston, Tex.

DEC 30 i947 Application February 9, 1942, Serial No. 430,122

3 Claims.

My invention relates to improved apparatus for producing formed and shaped blanks for use in the construction of the Water tubes of internal combustion engine and other radiators of the cellular type, and more particularly to apparatus 5 and method for producing such elements in a sides of the b sen r i their ends, th single continuous pass from sheet metal in roll Wa l a e Vertical slots to opening through t e r form, and the primary object of my invention is upp r d s w ch Slidab y receive the pairs of to provide a simple and efi'lcient arrangement of pp a d o e ab e bea g blocks II and the character indicated which greatly speeds up respectively, Which h a es l3 and I4, and reduces the expense of production. respectively, bearing on the outer and inner sides Other important objects and advantages of my of the Walls 3 and 9, as clearly Shown in g r invention will be apparent from a reading of the T pp hearing blocks l l have elongated heads following description taken in connection with the l5 Which rest on the upper edges f the W lls 8 appended drawings, wherein for purposes of illusl5 and 9 d are red in p a e y studs 1-6 which tration I have shown preferred embodiments of screw into holes H in the said upper ed es. my invention. The upper bearing blocks II journal opposite In the drawingse portions of the upper shapi g haft I8, while Figure 1 i a general top plan view of a mthe lower bearing blocks l2 journal opposite end bodiment of the invention for producing the V- p r i f t e lo S ap g shaft l9. Outside shaped cross section type of radiator core formof the wall 8 the shafts have fixed thereon the ing element, with portions in horizontal section. meshing gears 20 a 2| wh ch oordinate and Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view time the upper and lower S p rollers 2 and taken through Figure 1 approxi atel t l 23, respectively, with relation to each other. Out- Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view Side Of the opposite Wall 9 t w r aft W has of said embodiment, looking upwardly in Figure 1. Worm Wheel 24 d t ere n which is in mesh Figure 4 is a fragmentar ele t o view of with a worm 25 fixed on a longitudinal shaft 26 the opposite side of Figure 1. whose opposite end portions are journaled in lugs Figure 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view 27 and 28 depending from a horizontal longit taken through Figure 2 along th line 5 5 80 dinal portion 29 of a bracket 30 which is secured Figure 6 is a fragmentary top l n i of a to the outer side of the wall 9 adjacent its upper rolled blank produced by the mentioned embodiedge in the position in d in r s 1 and ment. I The rearward end of the worm shaft 26 has a Figure 7 is a transverse vertical sectional view Dower adap 3| enabling the machine to be taken through Figure 6. driven by a suitable power element connected to Figure 8 is a general top plan view of another the adapterembodiment, of the invention, Attached to the forward ends of the walls 8 Figure 9 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view and 9 by Studs 32 a Vertically e ongated bracktaken through the second embodiment approxietS 33 Which have forwardly P jecting P rtions mately centrally. 34 in which end portions of upper and lower bend- Figure 10 is atransverse vertical sectional view ing and fiutihg Shafts a d 36 are iournaled. taken through Figure 8 along the line Ill-In, The left hand end of the shafts 35 and 36 have Figure 11 is a transverse vertical sectional view meshing gears 37 and respectively, which co taken through Figure 9 along theline l l! l a d ordinate the operation of these shafts. The oppolooking in the directionof the arrows. site end of the uppe fluting Shaft 35 as a er Figure 12 is a fragmentary longitudinal secgear 39 which is operatively meshed with an i l tional view taken through the rollers of the apgear 40 mounted on a stub shaft M on the wall paratus shown in Figure 8, illustrating the coa g 42 fi d n th upper roller shaft I8 operation between the upper and lower rollers 1 b in i m W the idler r As a'result in the formation of the radiator core elements. 60 the vertically spaced fiu a ts 35 and 36 Figure 13 is a fragmentary plan view of the radiator core element formed by the rollers shown in Figure 12.

Referring in detail to the drawings and first the numeral 5 generally designates the machine as a whole, the same comprising a flat rectangular base 6 for resting on and securing to a supporting surface I, and rectangular walls 8 and 9, respectively, rising from' the opposite longitudinal are timed and coordinated with the rollers 22 and. 23.

The surfaces of the fiuting shafts are longitudinally grooved as indicated at 43 to define equally to the embodiment shown in Figu es 1 th ough 7, circumferentially spaced longitudinal element 44 extending between the brackets 33. The upper fiuting shaft is positioned slightly forwardly with respect to the lower fiuting shaft 36 as indicated in Figures 2 and 4.

The upper corners of rear. ends of the walls 8 and 9 are notched to define the horizontal rest and the vertical abutment 46. A yoke or bridge 41, comprising a transversely elongated bar 48 has its forward edge positioned against the said abutments and is spaced upwardly from the rests 45 by spacers 49, with studs 50 passing through the ends of the bar 48 and the spacers and threading into holes formed in the rests. The studs also pass through openings formed in a flange on a sheet metal arcuate hood 5| which spacedly overhangs the upper roller 22 as shown in Figure 2, the said flange being thereby supportably secured between the rests and the spacers, The bar has a rearward lug 52 projecting from the middle of the bar 48 and slidably traversed by a bolt 53 which has a foot 54 on its lower end with a helical expanding spring 55 circumposed on the bolt between the said foot and the bottom of the lug 52, A nut 56 supplemented by a lock nut 51 is threaded on the upper end of the bolt 53 to adjust the compression of the spring 55. The foot 54 bears down upon the heavy elongated pressure plate 58 which is equipped with a handle 59 by which it may be slidably removed or adjusted in position between two horizontally elongated vertical plates '60 whose forward end portions are secured against the inner sides of the side walls 8 and 9 and Whose rearward end portions project rearwardly from the said side walls.

The plates 60 have facing grooves 6| formed near their upper edges and in which are secured the side edges of the horizontal material guide plate 62 upon which the sheet metal blank 53 slidably rests, with the pressure plate 58 resting thereon with the force of its own weight and the downward pressure exerted on it by the spring pressed foot 54, The rearward part of the pressure plate 58 has a lateral limit stop 64 to engage the rear end ofone of the plates 68 to prevent forward over-reaching of the pressure plate beyond the forward end of the guide plate 62. The rear end of the guide plate is upwardly beveled as indicated at 65. The top of the guide plate 62 is on a level with the space between the immediately opposed portions of the upper and lower shaping rollers 22 and 23.

In front of the said rollers is the assembly 56 comprising three horizontal plates. The upper fixed plate it? is secured to and between the side walls 8 and with its bottom approximately on a level with the top of the guide plate 52. The upper plate 6'! extends from a point between the shaping rollers 22 and 23 to the forward ends of the side walls a and 9. The intermediate fixed plate 68 is secured between the said side walls and has its upper surface spaced below the bottom of the plate til at a distance slightly greater than the greatest vertical dimension of the formed portion 69 of the sheet metal blank 63. The forward edge of the intermediate plate is substantially rearwardly spaced from the forward edge of the upper plate 61. The lower plate 10 is slidably removably mounted between the side walls 8 and and is sufliciently spaced below the intermediate plate and the upper plate to enable the necessary partial bending of the formed portion $9 of the sheet metal blank while preventing undue downward deflection.

In view of the above arrangements and the presence at predetermined longitudinal intervals in the formed portion 69 of the metal blank of transversely extending alternately upwardly and downwardly convexed bends or flutes H, the tendency is for the blank to bend alternately in opposite directions, that is, upwardly and downwardly as the blank reaches toward the forward end of the assembly. This tendency is given effect by the arresting action on the forward movement of the blank as it emerges from the assembly 66 which is provided by the engagement of the foremost part of the blank in a groove of one of the two relatively slowly turning bending shafts 35 and 36 and is as a result buckled or bent along the immediately following bend or flute ll. As the resulting accordion pleat H is fully formed it reaches toward the roller opposed to that first engaged and the apex of the fold engages in one of the grooves thereof. As the floating shafts 35, 36 turn in opposite directions, the pleats are worked forwardly from between these rollers as indicated in Figure 2 of the drawmgs.

The shaping rollers 22 and 23 may have any suitable or desired contours in accordance with the depressions, elevations, and cuts wanted in the finished core elements. The flutes H are formed by longitudinal circumferentially spaced members comprising the male elements i2 and the mating female elements '53, Between the adjacent male and female elements, which alternate around the rollers, are the longitudinally staggered, circumferentially alternating combined forming and cutting bosses 14 which produce the concavo-convex depressions l5 and raised portions '65 in the sheet metal blank [53 and it passes between the rollers. The arrangement of the bosses gears the rollers together through the intervening sheet metal, which for forming radiator core elements, is preferably copper. l

Referring now to the embodiment shown in Figures 8 through 13 of the drawings, the same numerals, primed with a, designate the parts similar to those of the first described embodiment.

In the second embodiment the walls 8a. and 3a are shortened and vertically elongated, and slotted from the upper end at Mia to accommodate the bearing blocks Ma for the upper shaping shaft ma, the blocks having the elongated heads bolted at idea to theupper edges of the walls Ba and 9a. The lower shaping shaft Mia is journaled in bearing blocks 52a, seated in horizontal slots i911 opening through the forward ends of the walls 8a and 9a. with the heads ita of the said blocks bolted at 32a to the forward ends of the walls. The shafts I and tea are vertically aligned and have fixed thereon the upper and lower shaping shafts 22a and 23a, respectively. The rollers are geared to each other through the intervening sheet metal strip or blank 6-3 and have no operative connection. The upper shaft i811 is driven through a worm wheel E ia fixed on its right hand end, meshed with a worm 25a fixed on a worm shaft 25a. horizontally journaled in longitudinally spaced parts of the bracket Sta, the rearward and exposed end of the shaft 25a having a power adapter Bid for connection with a suitable power drive.

The present embodiment is devoid of the assembly B6 and the fiuting shafts 35 and 35 characterizing the first embodiment, and has at this location only the deflector 66a for giving a forward and downward path to the formed sheet metal blank as it emerges from between the forming rollers. The deflector comprises a horizontal plate Ila slightly turned up at its rearward edge and provided on its forward edge with a vertical flange which has end portions bolted at 'l'l to the forward ends of the side plates ila, which in the present embodiment extend forwardly alongside of the rollers to a point forwardly of the walls la and 9a. The bolts I'I also securably pass through an upwardly and 'rearwardly curved hood ila. which spacedly overlies the upper roller 22a. As in the case of the first embodiment the strip sheet copper i3 is manually fed from a roll thereof between the rearward ends of the pressure plate Ila and the guide plate 62a, or with the pressure plate to removed the strip is laid on the guide plate 62a and moved forwardly until between the forming rollers and the pressure plate then replaced, whereat the machine, if not already operating, is ready for operation.

The shaping rollers 12a and 23a are made up of axially adjacent disks each one of which has characteristic depressions or elevations adapted to mate with the elevations and depressions, respectively of the related disks of the other roller, as the rollers. are revolved with the sheet metal therebetween, thereby gearing the rollers together and forming the metal at the same time.

The formed blank 69a is characterized by marginal open ended elevations 15c and by centralized closed end elevations lid, with transversely elongated depressions ll extending laterally from and communicating with the opposite ends of the centralized elevations 'lia, theouter ends of the depression 18 leading into circular depressions I! spaced from the inner ends of the marginal elevations "a. The peripheries of the disks forming the rollers are formed appropriate to the described formations. The upper shaping roller 22 is keyed at ll to the upper shaft Ida while the lower shaping roller 23a is not so keyed.

Although I have shown and described herein preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not wish to limit the application of the invention thereto exceptasmayberequiredbythescopeofthe subioined claims.

Having described as new is: I

1. Apparatus for producing in a single continuouspassametalstripcharacteriaedbydepressions and prominences and regular lateral displacements, said apparatus comprising a presthe invention, what is claimed sure regulated entrance for conformably receiving the blank metal strip, one way rotating upper and lower shaping rollers between which the metal strip is advanced by said rollers in order 'to be indented by the rollers to obtain said depressions and prominences, a guideway through which the shaped strip passes and is confined against latend and vertical movement, and opposed fluting shafts with their axes slightly vertically displaced against which the formed strip is forced by the shaping rollers, said fluting shafts being arranged to produce regular lateral deflection of the shaped strip, said entrance comprising grooved side walls, a flat guide member carried in said grooves and a removable pressure exerting slab between the side walls and between which slab and said guide member the work piece is guided.

2. Apparatus of the character described in claim 1 and comprising laterally spaced elements between which said upper and lower shaping rollera are journaled on and between said elements, said guideway constituting a support and comprising a horizontal channel terminating at a point hetween the rollers for guiding on all sides a sheet metal strip between the rollers, a presformed strip positioning means located between said shaping rollers and said fluting shafts for handling the formed strip as it emerges from between said shaping rollers, said positioning means comprising vertically spaced horizontal surfaces, permitting limited downward deflection 40 of the formed strip with respect to the plane of its emergence by reason of engagement of portions of thestrip with the grooves of said flirting shafts, said fluting shafts operating in opposite directions with respect to each other and with respect to said shaping rollers to produce alternate folding of said formed strip in upward and downward directions.

3. Apparatus for producing in a single continuouspassametalstripasdescrlbedinclaim l,

said shaping rollers being composed of a plu- 'ralityofaxiallyaligneddiskasecuredoncorrep spondingshafts.

JOHNSALZER. 

